Published May 25, 2011 at 05:00AM / Updated February 13, 2016 at 06:24PM

Letters to the Editor published Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Curry Coastal Pilot

Stop on by, say 'Hi,' learn about Elks

Editor:

The Brookings Elks Lodge has a lot to show off to current and prospective members this Memorial Day weekend during the Azalea Festival.

B.P.O.E. #1934 has installed Dustin Wesel as its youngest exalted ruler. He is an impressive young man who is a local Brookings Harbor native willing to assume the tremendous responsibilities of representing our lodge statewide and nationally.

Dustin will be a busy guy this Azalea Festival and you will have a chance to meet him either at the Elks Beer Garden booth located at the "Party at the Port" on May 27, 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. until "the music stop," or during the Annual Deep Pit Barbecue held at the Elks Lodge on Sunday, May 29 from 12 to 4 p.m.

And while you are stopping by, ask Dustin or any Elk member how you can be an Elk and join the lodge!

Don Nuss

Brookings

Bin Laden protected by our 'friends'

Editor:

We got him!

Abbottabad, Pakistan was protecting and hiding the biggest and most notorious killer in the history of the U.S.A.

Under the very nose of a supposed allied country, he was protected by our "friends" for the last seven years at least.

The most interesting aspect of this scenario is this, in Abbottabad, Washington D.C., we have an administration that before our very nose (and protected by our friends the liberal free press) will succeed in dismantling our country as we have loved and protected for over 230 years. Liberalism will either kill itself or our country; it's anyone's guess which will come first.

Our President Barack Obama is likeable on the surface, but his destructive idealogy will quickly ruin our economy first, and then big government directing Fannie and Freddie will do the rest. When you surround yourself with people like our wonderful Attorney General Eric Holder calling America a "nation of cowards" then he defends the killing of an unarmed bin Laden with information gathered by our brave men of the C.I.A., you better pay close attention and find the truth, because it is being ignored.

Leon Panetta, director of the C.I.A. was interviewed on Fox News and admitted that waterboarding gave us the courier's name for bin Laden and we got him. The brave Eric Holder wants to take credit for getting our man, but he also wants to prosecute the interrogators that got the key which opened the door to our success.

Liberalism will die if totalitarian control by the press ends with the arrival of Fox news, talk radio and the internet. Raise a toast to free speech.

Clay Dalrymple

Gold Beach

County's ill-fated airport scheme

Editor:

The county commissioners are planning to take over ownership of the Cape Blanco Airport, set an Oregon precedent of converting state park land to private development, and spend money on an ill-fated scheme.

And they're not telling us about it.

The extent of notification has been a cryptic two-line announcement offered less than two days before our officials quietly voted for a decision of great importance and budgetary consequence.

Excellent coverage by the Curry County Reporter emphasized the commissioners and their legal counsel's caveat that the effort is simply exploratory, but that's not what the approved action says. It bluntly states that the county "has agreed to pursue the transfer of the Cape Blanco Airport from the State of Oregon to Curry County."

Since our commissioners are not talking, why not call 800-243-1996 or 541-247-3296. Ask what they're doing.

Maybe they'll tell you, as they told me, that they want ownership because our near-bankrupt county with its laid-off employees will be more capable of investing millions in improvements at the airport than is the state. Maybe they'll tell you that they have plans to make money from a golf course after committing millions in public assets for sweetheart deals. But they'll probably just tell you that this will be aired at the "appropriate" time.

That means after the dealings are done and commitments of our precious tax dollars are made on an enterprise as foolish as any effort to hide from the people who vote.

Tim Palmer

Port Orford

Selfish act shatters the lives of many

Editor:

So sad someone else has died on our local highway.

Lives shattered on an otherwise peaceful Friday.

Why were you in such a big hurry? Were you late for that meeting with your lover, spouse? Were you off to see the guys, perhaps to visit mom, or your family? Did you want to get that early start to a Friday getaway, or just in a hurry to get home and clean up after work?

So now, because of your selfishness and bad judgement, another person will never be able to experience what you were in such a big hurry to do that Friday.

Lives and relationships have been broken forever now because of your act of bad judgement and recklessness. ...

Tony Monochy

Brookings

Trucker unqualified to administer law

Editor:

Responding to Gidget Blair (Pilot, May 18), it appears you don't know all the facts of the case.

You state "the horror of that night" and the fact is the "accident" took place in broad daylight and Ms. Rigel was aware she was sleepy behind the wheel of her massively heavy urban assault vehicle and yet, continued driving. Criminally Negligent Homicide is no simple matter and in my opinion, she got off easy considering she was not charged as an adult under Measure 11 which allows the court to try anyone over 15 years of age in adult court. However, apparently, this crime is not a Measure 11 crime. However, it is a criminal offense and she will not spend a minute of jail time in a juvenile facility.

The Pilot failed to note that, not only was the life of Danny Michael Nudo taken by the careless actions of this teen driver, but he left behind a lovely young wife, Kelly, and two daughters, Emma, 7, and Morgan 3. There were four victims of this negligent driver and Gidget Blair feels a six-month loss of license would be sufficient penalty. Sorry Gidget, but I don't think your experience as a long-haul trucker makes you a candidate for administering the law.

In conclusion, I find the Pilot sadly wanting in providing the community full information concerning this case. Had the victim been a citizen of Curry County, I sincerely doubt that the victims and his family would have been overlooked.

Ms. Rigel may be a model student and may even claim to care about people, however, her choice to drive while sleepy does not reflect either of those attributes.

Barbara Nysted

Brookings

Alert drivers to U.S. veterans among us

Editor:

Recently while driving north along our coastline I noticed that almost all counties have the standard "Welcome to (whatever) County," as we do here in Curry County.

What is different is, they all seem to have an additional line that proclaims, "We honor Veterans."

Since Curry County has one of the highest percentages of veterans, of any county in the state would it be too much to ask to have the county board of commissioners authorize ODOT to add that line to the entry signs in Curry County?

Rick Mahanay

Brookings

In defense of 'what happened to dignity'

Editor:

I quote (Pilot, May 21): "Outrageous beyond words." Maybe. "Sad to see what has happened to the dress code of young people attending this prom. ..." Hardly.

The young man you write of is Geoff Gowman. He is a fine example of a young person; this I know. I do not personally know the other young people in the picture, but I do see their names and their faces in the Pilot on a regular basis. See Page A6, "BHHS Track Athletes shine at state competition ..." Page B1, " ... Mr. BHHS Pageant raises $500 for Children's Hospital." Or, "Azalea Festival Royalty entertains pageant goers," andndash; same page, bottom, right.

These young people are all in the paper regularly, doing good things. Now, Mr. Gowman may have colored outside the lines a little, or maybe he was "outrageous beyond words," as you have said. What happened to his shirt? "Maybe the dog ate it," as kids have said for years. Or he might have spilled orange Gatorade on it andndash; I know he drinks a lot of that! Or maybe it just got too hot in the room. But the prom queen did not appear offended. She and Mr. BHHS were fully decked out. I can't be sure why, but I'll bet there was a pretty good explanation.

Anyway, it was a party for high school kids who are becoming adults, and who may not have the same ideas you have about how someone should dress (or not ...) or whose code you are supposed to follow. One of my favorite codes is "Never judge a book by its cover."

Ms. Schmidt, I suggest that if you want to enforce a dress code on today's youth, stop looking at the prom and start looking at our street corners.

Roscoe Mock

Brookings

Minds of Founding Fathers are clear

Editor:

Three hundred and sixty years ago my ancestors came to this country and carved a nation out of the wilderness.

Like most, they came to seek their destiny. I become tired of those

with historical opinion who have no knowledge of this great nation's

history. Regardless of the false opinion that this nation is a Christian

nation, or established on Christian principles, we are a nation founded

on the principles of individual choice and freedom. The right of those

to worship no God is just as valid as those who choose to worship any

God, Christian, or otherwise.

The names of some of our Founding Fathers are being thrown around in

the support of some individual's Christian beliefs. This is absurd! This

nation was not founded on Christian beliefs and the minds of these

Founding Fathers are clear.

"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are

injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say

there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks

my leg." andndash; Thomas Jefferson;

"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion. andndash; John Adams;

"I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe in that He ought to be

whipped from pilar to post and back again for His shameful actions

toward Humanity. andndash; Benjamin Franklin.

One fact missed by others who have voiced an opinion on this issue is

that James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights. Though not an Atheist,

Madison was not a strongly religious man and generally held agnostic

opinions, in that God serves all mankind regardless of individual sects,

maxims or beliefs. An opinion to which I strongly adhere.

"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it

for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect. andndash; James Madison

Stephen Hagerman

Harbor

Corrections to my candidate profile

Editor:

I was expecting a correction be made to misinformation reported

within my school board candidacy interview written by the Pilot before

the election was held. However it was not printed.

I campaigned in our community last May with a petition that asked our

district to support vocational education programs for students. Five

hundred and fifty concerned citizens signed, asking for the school board

to consider our plea. Unfortunately, the Pilot inaccurately stated the

petition I brought to the board was for special ed services. I was

hoping those who signed the petition, and who I personally spoke with at

the time would consider this before voting.

Also, I never worked at South Coast Lumber Company. I worked for four

years at a different lumber mill in Curry County. My goal is that my

integrity will never be questioned, however people in the community are

questioning me as to the truth, so I wanted to clarify it to all those

770 wonderful citizens who put their trust in me, and voted.

If you have ever wanted to make a difference in something you believe

in, please stand up and support your cause. Our community needs you.

Sue-Caldwell Cruickshank

Brookings

We will never forget those in Brookings

Editor:

Brookings is the greatest, and we will certainly miss everyone here we have come to know and love over the past six years.

Yes, we are moving inland andndash; Isamu has been offered a position to

start up a new Japanese Izakaya in Corvallis, Oregon, and he simply

cannot pass up this wonderful opportunity to cook up the greatest

Japanese food in the West.

It has been such an honor and a blessing knowing all the people of

Brookings, from every walk of life, who have been so loving, kind,

giving, helpful, compassionate, supportive and, well, just plain,

down-to-earth, good friends. Our email and phone numbers will remain

the same, so please don't be strangers, and plan a trip to Corvallis to

see us soon.

We will never forget you all, and we hope to get back to the coast once in a while.

Biggest hugs to all, and may God Be with you constantly.

Billie Ruth and Isamu Furuichi

Brookings

Spreading untruths about marijuana

Editor:

It seems our state police continue to spread untruths about marijuana.

A sick person smoking a "joint" or eating a cannabis brownie is a "criminal."

A felon!!

Right up there with murderers, rapists, burglars and hit-and-run criminals.

How can anyone with a brain link marijuana with murderers and rapists?

Where is the victim? What is the "crime"?

The crime is our unjust, irrational drug laws, not marijuana.

The private, for profit prison industry, the law enforcement

industry, the legal drug industry and the alcohol lobby don't want

medical marijuana to be legal and heaven forbid that anyone should grow

this plant for their own use!

Think of all the profits they would lose if cannabis were legal!

Think of all the money us taxpayers would save if cannabis were legal!

It's quite all right with our drug laws if someone gets drunk on

alcohol and starts a fight or if they smoke tobacco and get lung cancer.

Marijuana is not addictive like nicotine, does not cause cancer or

COPD like tobacco, does not make many people aggressive or cause brain

damage like alcohol People who smoke marijuana usually get the

"munchies," love to relax and listen to music while "stoned" and are far

less likely to be aggressive.

Let's change the law to make marijuana legal for any responsible adult to use.